Cooper will discuss the work of the White House initiative, as well as innovation and entrepreneurship at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The HBCU Innovation and Entrepreneurship Collaborative includes 15 HBCUs (both public and private) that are engaged in a multi-year collaboration to foster innovation, commercialization and entrepreneurship on their respective campuses.

To accomplish President Obama's ambitious goal of America again having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020, HBCUs cannot merely survive but must thrive over the next decade and beyond. As part of this commitment, the president’s proposed FY2015 budget includes supporting institutional innovation through a $100 million First in the World program for innovative strategies and practices that improve affordability and outcomes for low-income students and $75 million for a new College Success Grants competitive grant program to HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions to support innovations that reduce costs and improve outcomes for students.

Event 1

Who :

George Cooper, executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities

What :

Opening remarks to the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) HBCU Innovation and Entrepreneurship Collaboration 2014 National Symposium